Show Notes
Genetic modification has shaped public debate in Aotearoa New Zealand for more than 25 years, influencing how we think about risk, responsibility and the future of our environment. This episode unpacks what genes and DNA actually are, how gene editing and genetic modification work, and why these tools have become so central to conversations about pests, diseases and climate change.
Our hosts revisit the early 2000s Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, the surge of public concern that followed, and how the science has advanced in the decades since. They explore the differences between gene editing, transgenesis and synthetic biology, the benefits and limitations of each, and the global momentum that is pushing these technologies forward. The kōrero also explains how forensics, medicine, agriculture and pest control already rely on genetic tools, often in ways most people never see.
We also look at the ethical, cultural and regulatory questions that guide how Aotearoa New Zealand uses these technologies, including who takes the risk, who benefits and how Māori and communities are involved in decision making. The episode highlights both the promise of genetic tools and the responsibilities that come with them as the country enters a pivotal moment in shaping its future with the Gene Technology Bill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Under the Lens
No one has said we don't need biosecurity. There are ways to do this. There are people with knowledge, there are communities who care, and there are ways to secure and protect the unique landscapes of Aotearoa.
Tame Malcolm (Te Arawa: Ngāti Tarāwhai, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Ngararanui, Ngāti Whakaue) has spent his career getting people excited about the bush, the birds, and the ecosystems that make Aotearoa unique. Because as he puts it, no one protects what they don't know. In this episode the General Manager of Te Arawa Lakes Trust explores what biosecurity could look like if we wiped the slate clean and started from something uniquely ours, grounded in Aotearoa's own identity, culture, and knowledge.
Biology has changed. The amount of biological data we can now collect has exploded, from automated sensors at our borders to genomic data tracking where pests come from. But are we maximising the opportunities to gather insight that this data could offer?
Biosecurity is often thought of as systems and agencies. But communities, people, and places are also doing the long term work, often with little resourcing and even less say in how it gets done.
Season two of Under the Lens is here, and we are starting somewhere unexpected. Fellow co-hosts Amanda and Peter turn the lens on Nick Waipara, drawing on his 25 years in biosecurity to ask what a reimagined system would actually look like.